Just received an email invite/announcement from Alberto Rosario from Davidoff Geneva about an upcoming event celebrating the AVO 25th Anniversary. Take a look below for details.
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Good afternoon, this email serves as an invitation to come and join us and celebrate Avo Cigars 25th Anniversary! Hosted by the Classic Car club located in Soho. The event will be a full course meal, a selection of exclusive Avo cigars, premium open bar and multiple raffles.
Come join us celebrate the success of a great cigar brand!, the launch of the Avo 25th Anniversary and meet interesting fellow smokers alike. If any questions arise please contact me by email or phone.
Thank you and I hope to see you the evening of November 16th.
November 7, 2012 (West Palm Beach, FL) – December 21, 2012 marks the conclusion of the 13th Ba’ak’tun in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar. It is believed that Armageddon would overtake the peoples of the world and all creation at this time. On December 14th, be prepared to smoke the last cigar you will ever have: the Tatuaje Apocalypse TM.
In a continuing effort to create limited runs of premium cigars blended by the industry’s top manufacturers, Smoke Inn Cigars of South Florida proudly presents its fifth installment of their MicroBlend SeriesTM, the Tatuaje Apocalypse TM. The sequel to the highly acclaimed Tatuaje Anarchy TM released December 10, 2010, the Tatuaje Apocalypse TM is smaller in size measuring 5.25” x 48-52. Made at the My Father Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua and dawned with a dark, rich Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, the Apocalypse was guided by the vision of Pete Johnson. Johnson, along with the Garcia Family, have masterfully tweaked the original blend with such subtlety that the Apocalypse TM is highly reminiscent of the original flavor profile, yet in somewhat of a more concentrated fashion.
Packed in 15-count boxes emblazoned in a vibrant red and screened in black ink, the reversal of red and black colors can be found on the cigar label as well. With only 1300 boxes having been made, the Tatuaje Apocalypse TM will individually retail for $8.95 and boxes for $134.25. Pre-Orders will begin at midnight on Thanksgiving Day, the beginning of Black Friday. The first 333 box orders will receive a special promotion: free shipping and a free limited edition Tatuaje Apocalypse TM Cap.
The national release party will be held at Smoke Inn’s West Palm Beach location at 801 Village Blvd on Friday, December 14th. Both Pete Johnson and the Garcia Family will be in attendance. All pre-orders will ship the following Monday, December 17th 2012. Orders should arrive in time for all to enjoy before the end of the world!
Previous releases in Smoke Inn’s Microblend Series TM –The Tatuaje AnarchyTM, The Padron SI-15TM, The My Father El HijoTM, and the Arturo Fuente SolarisTM — have received great accolades from cigar smokers all over the world. Smoke Inn proudly continues its quest to work with the world’s leading manufacturers to create limited release boutique cigars that are produced with only the highest quality premium tobaccos under the strictest supervision to guarantee the consumer a unique and exquisite experience.
The Glenrothes single Speyside malt whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK is bolstering its range even further with the unveiling of a new series of single cask bottlings from the late 1960s and 1970s.
Since 1994 The Glenrothes has released less than one single cask a year. However, The Glenrothes newest series, The Extraordinary Cask Collection, will be welcomed by whisky enthusiasts who have expressed great demand for older and rarer bottlings.
The popularity of The Glenrothes spirit amongst the whisky industry’s master blenders has increased so much that, unlike some distillers, there has until now been no remaining older stock at the distillery.
However, the first of this new series, The Glenrothes 1970 Extraordinary Cask #10573came to the attention of Ronnie Cox, Brands Heritage Director following a process of assessment where a small number of casks were subsequently selected.
Ronnie Cox said; “Extraordinary is a term associated with the heritage of the wines sourced and endorsed by Berry Bros. & Rudd. It applies equally to these casks selected for their personality and excellence, allowing them to stand alone as examples of the supremacy of The Glenrothes bloodline. The first of these is a whisky distilled in 1970 which, in keeping with The Glenrothes’ philosophy to bottle at peak maturity, is now ready to be committed to glass. The anticipation for this release is such that the first Extraordinary Cask is on allocation only.”
Commenting on the new release Peter Sandstrom, Marketing Director for Maxxium UK said: “The appeal of The Glenrothes is growing from strength to strength with its reach expanding. This will be enhanced with the release of the new Extraordinary Cask Collection, which we anticipate much excitement for within the industry and strongly believe it will be warmly received by whisky enthusiasts.”
The shape of the instantly recognisable iconic Glenrothes bottle has been enhanced further, using hand-blown lead crystal, for the single cask decanter. It is also in keeping with the elegance of the whisky and the heritage of The Glenrothes.
Each decanter has been individually created by a master craftsman at Atlantis Crystal in Alcobaca, Portugal, using the purest form of crystal. Brass has also been used for the hand-engraved collar on the neck of the decanter, supplied by Charles Stott, of the Edinburgh-based Scottish Silversmiths. In addition, the head of the stopper is fashioned from the wood of the very cask # 10573 in which the whisky has matured.
The Glenrothes 1970 Extraordinary Cask #10573 will initially be available from Berry Bros. & Rudd and its representatives in keymarkets. Prices will start at £3,000 (€4,000 or $5,000) and upwards per bottle.
Tasting notes for The Glenrothes 1970 Extraordinary Cask #10573
Appearance: Clear and bright with rich golden hues.
Nose: Distinctly earthy and autumnal, windfall apples and cider cellar. Toffee apples with icing sugar, sponge fingers with custard, puff pastry with apple.
Palate: Lightly peppery and fresh with citrus and eucalyptus. Subtle and supple, satin feel with a texture of crêpe de chine.
Finish: Long and beguiling with very, very dark chocolate.
Notes:
The Glenrothes was founded in 1879
Little more than 2% of the distillery capacity is bottled as Single Malt to ensure exceptional quality
Of the 16 Vintages released to date, 12 have entirely sold out
It is matured in a combination of Spanish and American oak casks – the best of both worlds
The Glenrothes Select Reserve won a Gold Medal at the The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2012
The Glenrothes Select Reserve was voted Best in Class at the World Whiskies Awards 2008 and won two Double Golds at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2007
The Glenrothes 1972 was awarded a Trophy at the 2005 International Spirits Challenge
The Glenrothes 1978 Vintage was voted Best Speyside Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2008
The Glenrothes 1975 won a Double Gold award at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008
The Glenrothes 1991 won a Gold Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
The Glenrothes 1994 won a Gold Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
The Glenrothes Alba Reserve won a Double Gold at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
“I have always felt that Glenrothes deserved to be more widely appreciated. Beautifully rounded…sophisticated after-dinner malt.” Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion
Jim Murray, in his Whisky Bible, refers to The Glenrothes Select Reserve; “One of the softest deliveries on Speyside, the silky barley and citrus caress the tastebuds with rare tenderness” and scores it 24 out of 25
Speyburn Distillery, the producer of Speyburn Single Malt Scotch Whisky, is pleased to announce that the successor of the World Whiskies Awards 2012 Gold-Medal-winning Speyburn 25 Year Old will soon be available in markets around the world featuring exciting new packaging. The relaunch of the much-admired premium expression of Speyburn follows a successful year for the Scottish brand.
The oldest and most exclusive Speyburn yet has been a hidden gem and a favourite for whisky aficionados for years. It didn’t come as a surprise when earlier in 2012 the coveted Speyburn 25 Year Old ‘Solera’ was named by the World Whiskies Awards panel as the best in its category. Now, the new and reinvented premium expression from the iconic Speyside distillery has arrived. It’s simply called Speyburn 25 Year Old.
The Whisky
The whisky for this all-new Speyburn came from American oak Fino sherry and exbourbon casks of the highest quality. The spirit matured entirely on site at Speyburn Distillery, on the banks of Granty Burn. The whisky is bottled at premium strength of 46% ABV. It is unchill-filtered and shows its natural colour.
Speyburn 25 Year Old has a vibrant and bright aroma, rich with lime honey and lemon peel notes, accentuated by fragrant tropical fruit. The taste is rounded and smooth. Sweet to begin with, it opens up with toffee, creamy vanilla and pink grapefruit flavours and drifts gently towards a long and warming finish.
The Packaging
Speyburn 25 Year Old is presented in the new Speyburn bottle encased in a silver wooden box. Two engraved collapsible metal tasting cups are also included making it the perfect gift for an outdoors enthusiast. Each pack is signed personally by the Distillery Manager Robert Anderson.
Recommended retail price: £240
Notes
· The Speyburn Distillery was founded in 1897 by John Hopkins.
· The Distillery still features unique Henning’s Pneumatic Drum Maltings which are the only example in the world. Although they stopped working in 1967 they still attract regular visitors as a vital part of Scotch whisky’s rich history.
· Speyburn draws production water from Granty Burn famed for its purity and world-class salmon fishing
· Speyburn 25 Year Old ‘Solera’ recently won the Best Highland Single Malt Whisky award at Whisky Magazine’s World Whiskies Awards 2012
· Speyburn is part International Beverage Holdings, the international arm of ThaiBev. Other well-known whisky brands in the International Beverage Holdingsportfolio include anCnoc, Balblair, Catto’s, Hankey Bannister and Old Pulteney.
Our friends at the Carnegie Club have just announced that this Thursday (November 8th), the club will be hosting Bushmills whiskey and Camacho Corojo cigars. What’s more, the event is free and open to the public. The event starts at 8:00pm, and members of FineTobaccoNYC will be there representing. The Carnegie Club has a long history of hosting quality events, so we hope to see you there!
Well, Hurricane Sandy turned out to be a whopper of a storm. It goes without saying that anything pertaining to cigars has been basically blacked out since Hurricane Sandy hit a few nights ago. Now, I sit at a Starbucks, with my first internet access for 5 days.
Before the storm hit, I made the trek out to my girlfriend’s place in New Jersey where she lives alone to take care of her. I wasn’t prepared for all of the downed trees, the power outages that are still crippling crucial services, and the lack of any cellular or internet access since Monday. Last night, we drove to Jersey City, and the darkness enveloping Hoboken, Jersey City, and the Financial District was truly eerie. See below:
photo courtesy of businessinsider.com
But quickly before my battery dies here at Starbucks, I want to say on behalf of Kelvin, David, Tim, James, and Ronnie, we hope all of you stay safe, get the supplies you need, and spend your time with your families. We also encourage all of those who have power, hot water, and internet access to do what they can to help others. Being without power and internet access for five days (and perhaps another 11 according to Con Ed) is, believe me, a terrible experience.
In any case, we’ll be posting via our Facebook page and updating you all. We’re also going to be putting together a cigar event celebrating the return of the city – but not until we have all done our part to secure the safety of our loved ones and those around us. Also, we send our regards to all cigar groups and cigar lounges in the city.
Feel free to tweet us @finetobacconyc, and drop a comment letting us know how you are doing if you are in the NY/NJ area.
October 29, 2012 (London) — To mark the first-ever World Tobacco Growers’ Day (#WTGD) today, tobacco farmers across the globe are taking part in dozens of events to highlight the disastrous impact World Health Organisation proposals will have on their livelihoods if passed by parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in just two weeks’ time.
“We’re celebrating the benefits our farms bring to our communities and asking our leaders to stand with us, to hear our voices, and to give us the opportunity to work together to protect our way of life,” said Antonio Abrunhosa, chief executive officer of the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA). Abrunhosa is leading the events worldwide and plans to carry the growers’ message to the FCTC’s Fifth Conference of the Parties (COP5) in Seoul, Korea next month.
WTGD begins an annual effort to bring together the world’s 30 million tobacco growers. Events in dozens of countries across four continents today demonstrate the social and economic contribution farmers make to their communities, to remember the heritage of this sector and to educate the public about the issues impacting their livelihoods.
The 2012 WTGD events focus on the threat currently facing the world’s tobacco farmers from the FCTC. At COP5 it will vote on recommendations to:
Artificially limit or reduce the land to cultivate and deny farmers the right to grow tobacco
Regulate the seasons of the year in which tobacco farming is allowed
Ban tobacco famers from working with their clients to improve crops yields, health and safety conditions and the crops environmental impacts to improve practices, health and safety conditions, prevent labor abuses, and minimize environmental impact
Dismantle the bodies relating tobacco farmers with their governments
Introduce mandatory “rehabilitation programs” that would force growers into other crops, regardless of the economic viability of that crop
“We are also asking governments to join us today and step back from the WHO abyss and protect, not penalise, poor tobacco farmers,” Abrunhosa said. He pointed out that these recommendations run contrary to the original intent of the FCTC ’ s treaty, which was to provide “technical and financial assistance to aid the economic transition of tobacco growers and workers“ if and when a decline in tobacco consumption results in lower demand for the crop.
“These draconian proposals are putting tobacco farmers under unprecedented attack from bureaucrats who are looking to artificially reduce the supply of tobacco without providing growers any viable alternatives to support their families,” said Abrunhosa. ”Contrary to FCTC’s claims, not a single smoker will stop smoking because of these proposals. All they will do is spread misery among farmers and their families in some of the least developed countries in the world. We are asking the FCTC to respect its own principles and accept growers’ knowledge and opinion on issues that impact their livelihoods.”
Every now and again as I’m surfing the web I come across some unique video content that deserves shared. I’ve shared a few other videos in the past, and this video, produced by The Street is certainly up to snuff. It’s a bit dated (January 2012), but it still gives a good idea of what Nat Sherman is like. In front of the camera is Nat Sherman figurehead Michael Herklots.
BUSHMILLS IRISH WHISKEY® PARTNERS WITH LOWDEN® TO CREATE HANDCRAFTED WHISKEY BARREL OAK GUITARS
Bushmills Village: Bushmills Irish Whiskey, which has been handcrafted on the North Coast of Ireland for centuries, has partnered with world famous luthier, George Lowden, to create three special-edition guitars, handmade from barrel-oak used in the whiskey making process.
Bushmills Irish Whiskey and George Lowden Guitars are both known and loved around the world. Based in Northern Ireland, George and his team have handmade guitars for some of most famous names in the music, including Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and The Edge.
The handmade barrel oak guitars were presented to singer-songwriter Foy Vance and other artists as a thank-you for their participation in Bushmills Live, the handcrafted whiskey and music festival which took place at the Old Bushmills Distillery on 20th and 21st June 2012.
Created by George Lowden and his team of master craftsmen at his workshop in Downpatrick, County Down, the guitar-making process took more than three months and presented a series of unique technical challenges.
The oak that the guitars were made from was from former Oloroso sherry casks, used in the making of Bushmills Black Bush, Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey and Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey.
The nature and curve of the whiskey barrel oak meant that each stave of wood had to be carefully sanded by hand to the necessary thickness and required shape. Each stave was then painstakingly glued together to create panels that retained the contours of the original whiskey barrel.
Those panels rested in the workshop for several weeks as the wood bound together, before they were hand-cut by George Lowden to guitar templates he has been using for almost 40 years.
Then, using hand-tools such as Japanese chisels, planes and knives, the team at Lowden assembled the guitars, incorporating the whiskey barrel oak into traditional Lowden ‘F’ and ‘O’ body designs.
The result is three guitars unlike any others ever made. With a distinct sound and even more distinct look, they are as much works of art as they are instruments.
Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, Colum Egan, said: “To see barrels that have housed our whiskey being used in this way is remarkable. Their creation celebrates the handcrafted qualities at the heart of both Bushmills Irish Whiskey and Lowden Guitars and I want to thank George and his team for making them. Like our whiskey they weren’t made for the cupboard and it is great to see some world class musicians putting them to good use. The guitars were the perfect way to thank the musicians who performed at Bushmills Live.”
George Lowden said: “Making any guitar by hand is highly challenging but these guitars presented a few more issues than most. It was an enormous privilege to work with such special wood and it took me and my team a considerable amount of time to create them. However, what we have managed to do is to create something quite special. We enjoyed working in partnership with Bushmills on the project and were delighted that the musicians who received the guitars were so pleased with them.”
To find out more about Bushmills Irish Whiskey or to see a gallery of images from the making of the Lowden Guitars from Bushmills barrel oak, log on to facebook.com/bushmills1608
Old Pulteney is proud to unveil the oldest and most exclusive official expression of single malt to leave the warehouses of the northernmost distillery on Scottish mainland since its establishment in 1826. The spirit of Pulteney is influenced by its environment like no other. Windswept and rugged Caithness Coast and the remote fishing port of Wick provide the background for one of the most intriguing whiskies in the world. This new stunning Old Pulteney was shaped by the land and the sea for over four decades and is the ultimate expression of the Maritime Malt.
The Spirit
Old Pulteney 40 Year Old came from four casks. They included three Spanish ex-sherry hogsheads and one American oak ex-bourbon barrel. The casks yielded 493 bottles of whisky at a natural strength of 51.3% ABV. This unique single malt has been bottled at cask strength, has not been chill-filtered or coloured. Despite the age the spirit shows remarkable freshness and intensity and boasts an unmistakable Pulteney character. Pulteney Distillery Manager, Malcolm Waring, explains:
“Old Pulteney begins its life as spirit already full of character. Then we mature it on site, here in Wick, we think its hugely important. With each passing year the whisky takes on a little bit of Caithness, the initial charisma is there but it develops more and more complexity. To see that so clearly in a whisky matured for over four decades is extraordinary; we are overwhelmed by the quality of this liquid and by how firmly it’s anchored here. The people, the process, the land and the sea are all in there.”
The commentators who sampled the spirit prior to bottling remarked:
A complex whisky which is surprisingly vibrant for its age.
– Joel Harrison, www.caskstrength.net
Just brilliant! So much going on, and incredibly youthful in terms of sweetness and pep. We loved it!
– Ben Ellefsen, Master of Malt
Epic inside and out
Old Pulteney 40 Year Old is not only an extraordinary whisky crafted to perfection but also an important chapter in the history of Pulteney Distillery. As such it calls for bespoke presentation; a real show of fierce pride, strength of the community and stunning craftsmanship.
The whisky is presented in unusual deep-blue bottles crafted by The Tudor Crystal Design company and its sister company Plowden and Thompson’s Undertaking. Hand blown from melting silica, soda ash and special additions each bottle is then finished with solid silver melted blown across the glass to form a wave pattern. This gives the familiar ‘Smuggler’s Kettle’ Old Pulteney bottle elegance and flair that pay respect to the liquid inside.
Each bottle of Old Pulteney 40 Year Old is topped with a stone closure whittled, polished, fine-pressure jetted, milled and polished again by the famous local Caithness Stone Industries. The bottles are finished with a Scottish hallmarked silver medallion stating the age of the whisky. The high-gloss lacquered wooden box that encases the bottle has the iconic Old Pulteney herring drifter silver-etched into it to complete the stunning presentation.
In addition every bottle of Old Pulteney 40 Year Old comes with a hand-signed book by whisky expert Charles MacLean.
A long journey
Old Pulteney 40 Year Old boasts one of the most beautiful bottles ever to be used for single malt whisky. This extraordinary feat of design and craftsmanship comes as a result of intense, painstaking work by many people in Caithness and beyond. Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager, Margaret Mary Clarke explains that the 40 Year Old has been a labour of love for all at Pulteney Distillery:
“The release of this wonderful 40 Year Old is a fitting way to conclude 2012, which has been an exceptional year for Old Pulteney around the world. Malcolm Waring, Distillery Manager, and his team have shown real dedication in bottling a whisky of the highest calibre which embodies the finest elements of Old Pulteney with even deeper complexity and character in every bottle.”
Old Pulteney 40 Year Old will be available from specialist whisky retailers globally from 1st November 2012 at a RRP of £1490.
Notes
· Old Pulteney’s core range includes Old Pulteney 12 Year Old, Old Pulteney 17 Year Old and Old Pulteney 21 Year Old. Old Pulteney 30 Year Old is also available.
· Old Pulteney 21 Year Old was named by Jim Murray as the World Whisky of the Year in the 2012 edition of his popular Whisky Bible
· Pulteney Distillery was established by James Henderson in 1826, at the peak of the local herring fishing boom
· Pulteney remains the most northerly whisky distillery on the Scottish mainland
· The distillery uses one pair of stills, the wash still featuring a very large boil bulb, and condenses spirit with the use of traditional worm tubs
